The story told by
A tribute to Maksatkan Nyshanova, a resilient mother who overcame immense hardships to support her family and preserve Kyrgyz traditions
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It is no coincidence that the Kyrgyz say, "A woman is the root of a house." Indeed, there is no nation that does not honor and respect mothers. In this story, I want to share the journey of my heroic mother, Maksatkan Nyshanova, whom we affectionately call "Our Tumbler." She tirelessly manages the household, often sleeping only 3-4 hours a night before rising again to work with the same energy, as if constantly in motion like a tumbler.
School Years
My grandfather lost his parents at a young age and spent his life herding sheep on a collective farm. My grandmother was a skilled craftswoman, but she passed away at the age of 49. With her gone, my mother was left to care for her four younger siblings as well as her own four children. She even took responsibility for raising her youngest sister, who was just five years old at the time. That sister now has five children and grandchildren of her own, thanks to my mother's care.
Marriage (1976)
During the Soviet Union, teachers were oftenassigned to work in remote areas, so my parents lived 250 kilometers away fromtheir hometown. Communication was not as it is today, and my mother constantlyworried about her family back home. After the collapse of the USSR, we moved fromChon-Alay to the Alay region, closer to my father’s family. Though they had torebuild their lives from scratch, they managed to settle down. However, fouryears later, my father contracted a severe cold and has suffered from pleurisyever since.
The Historical Village of Daroot-Korgon: Teachers and Trials
When my father was hospitalized, my mother faced the overwhelming responsibility of caring for seven children. Lacking moral and financial support from relatives, she walked 15 kilometers every day to bring food to my father and care for him while pregnant with her seventh child. After giving birth, she had to migrate to Kazakhstan to support the family financially. My father remained with us, and we missed her terribly, crying because we only saw her twice a year. The conditions for market sellers in Almaty were harsh, and my mother eventually had to stop working due to an allergy caused by the cold.
Once my mother had helped her siblings marry and settle her own children, all of whom she ensured were highly educated and well-established, she might have expected some peace. However, her father passed away, followed by her eldest brother, who succumbed to severe diabetes. These were difficult times, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union when poverty and famine were rampant. But my mother’s courage and wisdom allowed her to face these challenges head-on, giving us, her children, the strength to carry on.
Now, despite her age, my mother continues to contribute to the family in numerous ways. She hosts foreign guests, offers various tourist services, and shares Kyrgyz handicrafts and cuisine with the world. As the chief cook, she prepares both traditional and European meals and still bakes bread in a "tandyr" (a special stove for baking). A guardian of Kyrgyz traditions, she is deeply knowledgeable in handicrafts, traditional medicine, and customs, and she continues to read books.
I remember her reading often, and together with my father, they established a home library. Our neighbors frequently borrowed books from us, though today, many are consumed by their smartphones.
In addition to raising her seven children, my mother has also helped raise six grandchildren, four of whom have earned advanced degrees. Her story is one that could fill a large book, filled with hard work, sacrifice, and endless love. May there be many mothers in this world who are as loving, generous, just, and patient as my mother.
Mothers are the foundation of life. A motheris a close friend, supporting you in both joyful and difficult times. No one isas kind-hearted and generous as a mother, and no one sacrifices as much for thewell-being of their children. Let us always respect and cherish our mothers.
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